June 2024 Gaming Industry Update: Notable Personnel Moves

The gaming industry has seen a series of significant personnel changes. To help track these developments, we have compiled a roundup of the latest appointments and transitions. If your company has any new hires or promotions to share, please submit the details to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. Jerret West, who has served as Xbox's chief marketing officer since 2019, will be leaving his position to take on the role of CMO and head of market expansion at Roblox, effective June 30. West initially joined Microsoft in 2005 and has held various roles within the company, including senior global product manager and director of marketing. He also worked at American Express and Netflix before returning to Microsoft. Xbox head Phil Spencer expressed gratitude for West's contributions, citing his instrumental role in launching and growing Xbox communities and product expansions like Game Pass. Spencer also noted that Roblox is an important partner for Xbox and looks forward to continuing their collaboration. Meanwhile, Larry 'Major Nelson' Hryb has joined Unity as director of community, following his departure from Xbox Live last July. Hryb, who has a long history as a developer advocate at Xbox, is excited to work with developers to shape the future of real-time gaming and experiences. Former Bossa Studios executive Marina Mello has been appointed as the BBC's first global director for gaming and interactive. In this role, Mello will be responsible for the global gaming and interactive strategy for prominent BBC brands such as Doctor Who, BBC Earth, and Bluey. Technical and creative services company PTW has promoted two of its vice presidents to C-suite roles. Harlan Beverly has been named chief technology officer, while Kaley Hurst has become chief revenue officer. Paris-based mobile developer Homa has added two new hires to its management team: Dan Adair as vice president and general manager of hybrid casual, and Devin Radford as VP for business development. Starbreeze has made two changes to its management team, appointing André Persson as chief marketing officer and announcing the departure of interim vice president of human resources Hanna Falk. Melissa Bell has been appointed executive vice president of global marketing at Warner Bros Games, where she will report directly to Warner Bros Games president David Haddad. CI Games has named Tom O'Connor as senior vice president of development, while Jennifer Maas has been promoted to senior business writer, TV and video games at Variety. Jon Bailes has been named games editor of Edge magazine, bringing his experience as a freelance writer and contributor to the role.